Bullets Reserve maul Blantyre City to reach SRFA final

Nyasa Big Bullets Reserve will face Sable Farming in the final of the 2021 Thumbs Up Southern Region Football League after hammering Blantyre City 4-1 in a match played at Mpira Village on Sunday afternoon.

The result means the Reserve team has sailed through with an emphatic 8-2 goal aggregate over their opponents.

Bullets Reserve, who were already certain of a place in the final before the match, made three changes to the side that won 4-1 in the first leg, with Chikumbutso Salima, Franklin Mlimanjala and Chimwemwe Yasin all paving the way for Alex Tsamba, MacRay Chiwaya and David Daudi while the hosts maintained their first eleven that lost in the first leg.

As if they had won a cup final, the visitors’ fans left the Stadium with happy hearts after they witnessed one of the best performances from their team.

The visitors nearly conceded in the third minute when Brighton Gomani was found unmarked but his header went wide to the relief of Enos Chatama’s boys.

In the 20th minute, Patrick Mwaungulu saw his goal bound freekick well blocked by the hosts for a corner which had no impact as Blantyre City cleared the danger away from their defensive zone.

Mwaungulu saw his shot from the close-range swerving wide for a goalkick as Bullets Reserve kept on pressurizing in search for the opening goal.

The visitors finally were able to break the hosts’ defence in the 39th minute with a well taken goal by Mwaungulu.

A brilliant move from Tsamba to Stainley Biliat released Mwaungulu who brilliantly rounded off three Blantyre City defenders before unleashing a thunderous grass cutting shot which was just too much for Squaber Chipala in goal for the hosts, 0-1.

However, the lead only lasted for sixty seconds as the hosts leveled from the spot through Gomani following a handball by White Kisten inside the six-yard box, 1-1.

The teams went to the dressing room at 1-all.

At half time, Chatama brought in Frank Willard for Daudi whilst Dan Dzinkambani and Chikondi Kandonje came in for Davie Nelio and Chimwemwe Dyton.

Bullets Reserve had their greatest goal scoring opportunity in the 58th minute when Tsamba dribbled past Frank Nedi and made his way into the box before finding Billiat who was unmarked and had only the goalkeeper to beat but his shot went over the crossbar when scoring looked very easy than missing.

Chatama made another change, bringing on board Mlimanjala for Chiwaya as he tried to improve his attacking options.

The newly introduced substitute almost found the back of the net when he received the ball from Mwaungulu only to head over the bar to the disbelief of Chatama’s led technical panel.

But the Junior team restored their lead in the 77th minute through Willard who scored a stunning goal, 28 yards out to beat Chipala who was caught off guard in the line of duty, 1-2.

Two became three in an unprecedented manner when referee awarded Bullets Reserve a penalty after Chipala brought down Mwaungulu inside the penalty box when he was found in a one on one situation.

Mwaungulu stepped up and slotted the ball past Chipala into the bottom corner to make it 1-3 and 2-7 on goal aggregate.

Blantyre City started to panic after the third goal and lost cohesion in the middle of the park.

Biliat scored the fourth goal in a dramatic fashion.

A long ball from Innocent Msowoya caught Chipala sleeping in the line of duty who saw the ball being blocked by Billiat who had an easy task by just putting the ball into an empty net to make it 1-4 in favor of Chatama’s men.

Realizing that victory was almost certain, Bullets Reserve entertained their fans with their dribbling skills in the last ten minutes of the game.

The result means Bullets will play Sable Farming in the final on 25th September at a venue to be named by SRFA.

The winner will earn an automatic promotion to the top flight.